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O R I G I N S |  |
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The origins of Boarding House Mentors were seeded in the youth experiences of co-founder Alan Scott. Growing up in the racially charged 60's and 70's, Alan endured many of the same challenges our under served youth are facing today. In his early teens, Alan lost his father to alcohol and constantly found trouble as he struggled with the anger, sadness, and resentment he felt inside. "I was going down fast," says Alan. "I started raging at about 14 years old. Kids will show it this way because they want love and attention." With the help of a friend, Alan began channeling his time and energy into art, surfing, and skateboarding. This new direction quickly paid benefits as Alan signed as one of the original Pepsi Skateboard team members. He had found a new positive direction for his life. Today, Alan is an accomplished artist, entrepreneur, and surfer. 
Photos: Koby Newell In the spring of 2003, Alan had formulated a vision to create a way for today's youth to discover what he had found in board sports. Alan teamed up with Tony LoRe of Youth Mentoring Connection (YMC). Tony understood Alan's vision immediately. As president of YMC, Tony had been focused on working with under served youth for years. Tony, a successful businessman and surfer, dissolved his business interests to exclusively work with youth in Los Angeles. Youth Mentoring Connection is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of "at risk" youth through mentoring relationships with caring adults, supported by life skills and empowerment programs. They work with major corporations such as HBO and Warner Bros. to get employees involved, as well as creating grass roots efforts such as weekend Rights of Passage Retreats and activities like our surfing program to get the community more involved with young people. With the combination of Alan's surfing connections and Tony's youth experience, the two began developing a program. Sponsors, local surfers, and beach volunteers were brought together to implement the founder's vision. In the summer of 2003, under the direction of program coordinator Maria Busby, Los Angeles inner city children began a bi-weekly surfing experience that started changing lives. "We have a culture that pretends these kids don't exist," says Tony. "There are a couple of young men that until they came to the beach, I never saw smile. About 15 minutes after we got to the beach, they had a huge smile plastered on their face. These kids are sliding away from the influence of gangs. By being exposed to these volunteers, they can see somebody does care about them." From that initial vision and grass roots movement, Boarding House Mentors has become a non-profit organization dedicated to the vision Alan Scott, Tony LoRe, and Maria Busby founded in the early summer of 2003. With help, guidance, and assistance of volunteers and sponsors, the program continues to grow each year. |
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